June 3/06 6:50 am - Willingen World Cup: 4X Final Results

Posted by Editoress on 06/3/06

World Cup 4X #3 Willingen, GermanyCourtesy organizer

From all over the world mountain bike professionals traveled to the only german UCI World Cup in Willingen / Hochsauerland to compete in front of 5.000 thrilled spectators. The best 4X-riders of the world wanted to infect the spectators with the virus of the surely most exciting race format of the UCI race calendar. Alongside german celebrities like Guido Tschugg or Sascha Meyenborg, World Champion and overall World Cup winner Michal Prokop, vice World Champion Jared Graves, bike legend Cedric Gracia and superstar Brian Lopes wanted to show the best at the famous 4X-course in Willingen. Overall world cup winner Jill Kintner wanted to continue her triumphs from Vigo and Fort William and accomplish the hattrick.

After the first competition rounds it was clear that the "Dominator" Michal Prokop would be in the final, followed by Jared Graves, dutchman Jost Wichmann and the swiss Roger Rinderknecht. But the surprise was complete when Jared Graves fighted until the end to win the race by a narrow margin before Jost Wichmann. Roger Rinderknecht finished as third, and Michal Prokop could cross the finish line only as fourth. The excited winner celebrated proudly his first World Cup victory and it is demonstrated that it is possible to beat Prokop who dominated the last World Cups.

German white hope Guido Tschugg couldn't finish the semi finals due to a technical defect caused by an accident and was placed eigth.

At the women`s race Jill Kintner celebrated her hattrick with the third win in the third race of the season, followed by Katrina Miller (2nd) and Tara Llanes (3rd). She leads now clearly the overall ranking with 750 points before Katrina Miller (230 points).

Michal Prokop defended his leadership in the overall ranking with 620 points, followed by Jared Graves (380) and Roger Rinderknecht (370).

The T-Mobile BIKE-Festival Willingen, which is the framework event of the two UCI World Cups in Willingen, could welcome on the first two days over 16.000 spectators at the Expo site. Tomorrow the UCI Downhill World Cup and the next day the BIKE- Marathon will continue the weekend of sports in Willingen.